The WNBA is currently printing money in 2026. But behind closed doors, a growing faction of league stakeholders is actively turning on Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Nearly two dozen team officials, owners, players, and agents are openly questioning her operational style. They describe Engelbert as “defensive,” “dismissive,” and “condescending,” according to recent industry reports.
Following an on-court physical altercation between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark, tensions finally boiled over. Thomas received a suspension for the incident. Shortly after, she reported receiving death threats and racial slurs. Yet she never heard directly from Engelbert. This communication gap forced NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to step in. According to sources, he had to advise Engelbert on how to manage the suspension fallout.
That perceived distance from player welfare drew immediate fire. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier recently called the WNBA’s leadership “the worst in the world.” Without holding back, she explicitly labeled Engelbert “negligent.” To make matters worse, Engelbert skipped a recent Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction. Instead of attending the basketball milestone, she went to the U.S. Open golf tournament to fulfill a USGA executive committee commitment. That decision rubbed several league veterans the wrong way.
Upcoming CBA Expiration Tests WNBA Leadership Tolerance
If you look closely at the league’s trajectory since Engelbert took over in 2019, the financial data is hard to ignore. She inherited a league she claimed had “no money, no scale, no capability.” Now, league revenues have jumped almost 10-fold. Average franchise valuations have skyrocketed from roughly $5 million to nearly $460 million. This boom was recently cemented by a new media rights deal worth $3.1 billion.
Despite that massive cash injection, relationship equity is rapidly deteriorating. The friction between the front office and the players comes at a precarious time. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on October 31, 2026. As the league prepares to negotiate how to split its newfound billions, players are actively organizing around their frustrations over officiating, online harassment, and basic communication. Engelbert brought the league into a $3.1 billion era. Now, she has to prove she can actually manage the personalities generating that revenue.